This invention relates to a display device comprising an electro-optical display medium, for example, a liquid crystalline display medium positioned between two supporting plates, a system of pixels arranged in rows and columns with each pixel being constituted by picture electrodes, insulating layers provided on the facing surfaces of the supporting plates, and a system of row and column electrodes for presenting selection and data signals by means of which a range of voltages dependent on the liquid crystalline display medium can be presented across the pixels for the purpose of picture display, said device also comprising means for applying an auxiliary voltage across the pixels prior to selection beyond or on the edge of the voltage range to be used for picture display.
The insulating layers may comprise a plurality of sub-layers, with the outer sub-layer functioning as an orienting layer for the liquid crystal molecules.
A display device of this type is suitable for displaying alpha-numerical information and video information.
Such a display device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,631 (Jul. 16, 1991). In that device asymmetrical non-linear switching elements are used to apply the voltages across the pixels. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 414,565 filed Sep. 29, 1989, a display device is described in which symmetrical non-linear switching elements are used. Due to a spread in the properties of the switching elements, voltage variations occur which result in inhomogeneities in the picture information. However, these voltage variations were equalized. As a possible explanation of the equalization of voltage variations in the switching elements, said Application states that a DC voltage is gradually produced across the insulating/orienting layer covering the picture electrodes. However, dependent on the switching element associated with a pixel, this may require a considerable period of time (up to tens of seconds or more). During this period the total picture is not homogeneous.